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Druid
This article is a description of the character class '''Druid'. For a description of the role of druids within the lore of Warcraft, see Druid (lore). ''For related articles, see Category:Druids. Overview '''Druids' are a hybrid class with strong healing abilities. Unlike other hybrid classes, a Druid does not fulfill several roles at once, but can choose to shift between roles using his forms. A Druid can perform any of four roles in a group but depending on how a druid has spent his/her Talent Points, they can specialize in one of those four roles. *As a Balance Druid, Druids have an assortment of damage spells and special abilities including Moonkin Form that allow them to nuke similar to a Mage. *As a Feral Druid, the Druid will rely on Feral Foms to perform one of two roles. **By using Bear Form the druid can serve as a tank with rage like a Warrior. **While in Cat Form the druid can do melee DPS like a Rogue. *A Restoration Druid can also perform as a healer, like a Priest, with some very nice heal-over-time spells, poison and curse cleansing spells, and a group heal at higher levels. A Druid can play the part of any of the four primary party roles: tank, healer melee-dps and ranged-dps. In any of these roles a properly spec'd Druid can fulfil the task almost as well as a member of a primary class in these roles. However, they accomplish the task differently from the primary classes. For example a restoration Druid heals comparable to a holy Priest, but their healing spells are focused over time. Similarly a feral Druid can generate threat and mitagate damage comparable to a Warrior. Because of their versatility, unique spells like innervate and combat resurrection and one of the best buffs in the game (Mark of the Wild and later Gift of the Wild) Druids are welcome in any group. Races The Druid can be played by: * Alliance ** Night Elves * Horde ** Tauren Weapons & Armor Druid]] Armor Druids are able to wear Cloth and Leather armor only. See Druid Sets for a list of druid armor sets. Weapons Druids can learn to fight with: *Staff *One-handed Mace *Two-handed Mace *Dagger *Fist weapon Depending on race, druids have different starting weapons: * Night Elf druids start out being able to use staves and daggers; * Tauren druids start out with staves and one-handed maces. Both races can later pay a Trainer to teach them how to use fist weapons, maces and daggers. *Druids can never use shields. This is most likely because of the Druid class's bear form; the Dire Bear form in particular increases armor by 360%. With a 2000AC shield, for example, this would mean 9200AC from a shield, causing a massive imbalance in favor of the druid. *Druids can never learn how to dual wield. This means you can only use a weapon in your main hand (e.g. If you pay to learn fist-weapons, you can use right-handed brass knuckles, but not left-handed (off-hand) brass knuckles.) Abilities Through the use of various abilities and spells, the Druid can perform several roles in any group, including healing, nuking, tanking, and melee DPS. Forms The Druid's most notable ability is shapeshifting into different forms. Bear Form and Aquatic Form are obtained by doing Druid Quests. The other forms are purchased from a class trainer. For a full list of Druid Feral Form abilities see Druid Abilities. Bear Form The first beast form that can be obtained is the Bear form (with abilities similar to Warriors) at level 10. Key features: +180% Armor; +30% Health; +30% Attack Power; Warrior-type abilities Special Attributes: To be in the state of shapeshift gives the player immunity to polymorph effects. The act of shapeshifting allows the player to be freed of rooting, snares and freezing effects. It will also counteract the effects of frost-based spells and polymorphing. Aquatic Form Aquatic form, the first of the travel forms, allows for underwater breathing and faster swim speed, and is acquired at level 16. Looks simlar to a sea lion. Swim speed is increased from the standard 50% of running speed to 100% of running speed. Form can't be used outside of water. Useful to escape an enemy player, since few classes other than Druid can match the same speed on water. Special Attributes: To be in the state of shapeshift gives the player immunity to polymorph effects. The act of shapeshifting allows the player to be freed of rooting, snares and freezing effects. It will also counteract the effects of frost-based spells and polymorphing. Cat Form The Cat form (with abilities similar to Rogues) becomes available at level 20. Player has the ability to prowl allowing the Druid to ambush...{really great for PvP}. Base travel speed in Cat form can be increased by the Feline Swiftness talent in Feral Combat to a potiental speed of 130% outdoors. It can also reach a potential speed of 160% (indoors and out) for 15 seconds with the Dash skill. It's important to note that Feline Swiftness's and Dash's speed boosts do not stack. Special Attributes: To be in the state of shapeshift gives the player immunity to polymorph effects. The act of shapeshifting allows the player to be freed of rooting, snares and freezing effects. It will also counteract the effects of frost-based spells and polymorphing. Travel Form Travel form, giving a 40% bonus to speed, becomes available at level 30. Travel form can only be used outdoors, but not in deep water which requires swimming. This is specially useful on PVP, since it is an instant cast, and can easily put distance between the Druid and the enemy, be it to heal, or simply escape. Special Attributes: To be in the state of shapeshift gives the player immunity to polymorph effects. The act of shapeshifting allows the player to be freed of rooting, snares and freezing effects. It will also counteract the effects of frost-based spells and polymorphing. Dire Bear Form At level 40, Druids can get an improved warrior form, the Dire Bear form, increasing attack power by 120, armor contribution from items by 360%, and health by 1240 at level 60. This can be thought of as the equivalent of warriors gaining the ability to wear plate armor at level 40. Special Attributes: To be in the state of shapeshift gives the player immunity to polymorph effects. The act of shapeshifting allows the player to be freed of rooting, snares and freezing effects. It will also counteract the effects of frost-based spells and polymorphing. Moonkin Form Moonkin Form is available to Druids who spend 31 point in Balance Talents, which is level 40 at the earliest. It increases armor by 360%, and increases the casting critical strike chance of nearby party members by 3%. The Druid can only cast Balance spells in this form. Moonkin Druids generally play the ranged DPS role of a Mage, but are handicapped by their usually low mana. However, they can regenerate it due to the Druid's naturally high spirit. Also, as of Patch 1.11 Innervate is available for Druids level 40 and above, mitigating the handicap. (However, a Druid cannot use Innervate on Moonkin form. A Moonkin user must shift out to use it.) There are 2 basic types of Moonkin Druid: *Featherkin The Featherkin is a Moonkin Druid who acquires light leather and cloth gear usually reserved for mages, going for the Intellect and +Damage/Healing stats. The cloth armor they wear is generally compensated for by the +360% armor gain. As opposed to the Panzerkin, they can often hold their own in PvE, due to the fact that they are able to gain more Mana regenerating items and sheer +Damage. High end PvE moonkin are almost always this type of Moonkin. Despite popular opinion, it must be remembered that Moonkin of this type do not wear entirely Cloth armor, wearing what epic +damage leather they can, and filling in the gaps where no epic leather is availible with cloth. *Panzerkin "Panzerkins" are Druids who go after the rare and difficult-to-find leather caster items. The lack of Balance Druid-emphasized armor severely limits their selection, but those who work at it come out as a heavily-armored, high-dps, high-crit Mage type. These are especially good in PvP as their high crit/damage stats work to make battles short, and the +360% armor gain can have some Moonkins' armor on par with pre-Tier 1 geared warriors. Though currently they are limited in the choice of leather armors, making up the fact that they can lack against epic geared opponents, The Panzerkin will also lack in PvE, however. See the Druid Forms page for further details. There is also a Druid Quests page with an outline for the level 10 (Bear) and level 16 (Aquatic) quests. Spells In addition to healing spells, Druids also have the best buffs in the game. They also have some limited damage spells, although these are not in the same league as a Mage or Warlock for example. See the Druid Spells page for further details. Talents Druid Talents are split into three categories: * Balance - Focus on Damage Spells to make the druid an efficient DPSer. * Feral Combat - Focus on using the druid forms (Cat Form, Bear Form, Dire Bear Form) in the aspects of tanking (Bear/Dire Bear Form) and Damage dealing (Cat Form). * Restoration - Focus on Healing Spells to make the druid an efficient healer. Its important to note that the Druid talent trees are designed to alter all aspects of the druid. A few Feral Combat talents modify maximum mana (balance and healing). Also, some Balance talents modify cost of healing spells, as well as melee damage dealing and melee clearcasting talent. Finally, some Restoration talents modify mana regeneration during casting (balance) and talents to give the druid rage/energy when he switches into either Cat or Bear Form. There are good talent calculators that can be found here: WoWhead Talent Calculator (fast), Official Blizzard site, Panda Hideout, WoW Vault, ThottBot and Merciless. See the Druid Talents and Druid Talent Analysis pages for further details. End-Game Expectations Blizzard's itemization for the end-game focuses primarily around healing, and regardless of talent point distribution you will likely primarily be healing your party, decursing, and keeping mark and/or gift of the wild on them. Given the correct gear Feral druids are viable maintanks/offtanks for many encounters in Molten Core and Blackwing Lair, and can fill DPS roles also. Balance druids may find their aura useful to Mages or Paladins as well as filling a secondary healing role. For certain encounters such as Garr and for the Sons of Flame during Ragnaros druids may be required to off tank. In Zul'Gurub you will be called on to Sleep creatures for Crowd Control, cure poison and heal regardless of talents. Feral druids can contribute useful DPS to fights that require a quick kill, and properly geared make an excellent choice as MT for Gahz'ranka (feral charge), and Jin'do the Hexxer (immune to polymorph). You will be the primary form of Crowd Control in AQ, and again as feral may serve as an offtank, DPS or healer, depending on group composition. Further Information See Starting a Druid for some advice when starting out and Druid Tactics for more advanced topics. See Also *Druid *Druid Spells *Druid Forms *Druid Abilities *Druid Talent Analysis *Druid Tactics *Druid Quests *Druid Q&A - FAQ for new players (very valuable!) *Extensive Guide to Bear Tanking - Temporary Google Cahce of the guide ---- Category:Classes Druid Category:Night Elves Category:Tauren Category:Classes Category:Alliance classes Category:Horde classes